Hot Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks Salted Butter- at Room Temperature
1 cup White Granulated Sugar
⅔ cups Packed Light Brown Sugar
2 whole Large Eggs
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla
3-¼ cups All-purpose Flour
4 packages (1 Oz. Packets, NOT Sugar-free) Hot Chocolate Mix
1 teaspoon Salt
1-¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
1 cup Each White, Milk, And Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. In a separate bowl, combine flour, hot chocolate mix, salt and baking soda. Add to wet ingredients in 3 to 4 parts, making sure all is incorporated. Fold in chips. Chill the dough for an hour or so. Scoop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Texas Brisket

**This recipe takes 3 days**2 days to marinade the meat and 1 day to cook**
Marinade


1 C Worcestershire
1 C red wine
1 C beef broth
juice from 1 lime
4 Tbs brown sugar
3 crushed garlic cloves

Seal and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days.

Remove meat from marinade and season with salt and pepper.
Discard marinade.
Preheat oven to 450.
Place in hot oven and reduce heat to 250.
Cook for 10 hours.

Chicken and Avocado Soup

2 tsp olive oil

1 ½ C scallions, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced
5 C chicken broth
Pinch cumin
Pinch chili powder (optional)
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
2 C shredded chicken breast
2 ripe Hass avocados, diced
½ C cilantro, chopped fine
4 lime wedges

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add 1 C of scallions and garlic. Sauté about 2 minutes then add tomatoes and sauté another minute, until soft. Add chicken broth, cumin chili powder, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Simmer, covered on low for about 15 minutes.

In four bowls, fill each with ½ c chicken, ½ avocado, remainder of scallions, and cilantro. Ladle 1 C chicken broth over the chicken and serve with a lime wedge

Baked Sweet Potato and Chili Fries

3 ½ lbs sweet potatoes (5-6 sweet potatoes)

2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp sea salt or ¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ C orange juice
3 ½ tsp chili powder
1 Tbs honey
1 8 oz carton sour cream
1/3 C snipped fresh cilantro


Pre heat oven to 450. Cut each unpeeled sweet potato into 1 in thick slices. In a large ziploc bag toss with oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange in 2 9X13 pans. In small bowl combine OJ, 3 tsp chili powder, honey. Set aside. Bake potatoes uncovered 25-30 min or until tender. Brushing 3 times with OJ mix and shaking pan occasionally. In another small bowl mix sour cream, cilantro, and remaining chili powder for dip.

*note*  I like to add more than the reccomended amout of chili to give my fries a little more kick.  Three tsp of chili powder give it a very subtle flavor.

Patti's Salsa

1 16 oz. can tomatoes
1/4 c. jalapenos
2 t. garlic salt
2 t. cumin
1 1/2 t. salt

*you can use garlic powder instead of garlic salt just add the salt
*you may not want to add the salt unless you use garlic powder
*use salt according to taste
*no jalapenos! just double the recipe and use 1 can ro-tel and 1 can of diced tomatoes

***I mix salsa and sour cream together -- yummy

Too Much Choc. Cake

1 (18.25 oz) pk. devil's food cake mix
1 (5.9 oz) pk. instant choc. pudding mix
1 c. sour cream
1 c. veg. oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. warm water
2 c. semisweet choc. chips

Mix together 1st six ingredients add choc. chips. Pour batter into a well greased 12 c. bunt pan. Bake for 50-55 mins.
Cool cake in the pan for at least 1 1/2 hrs. invert and remove from pan. Dust w/ powdered sugar. Makes 12 servings

I serve this with fresh whipped cream and a berry sauce.

Berry Sauce
1 pkg. of frozen mixed berries (or raspberry, whatever you want)
2 T. water
Cook on the stove until warm all the way through then mix it in the blender. Add it back to the stove and finish cooking with a little sugar added.

Pecan Pie

3 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. white corn syrup
1/4 lb. (1 stick) melted butter
1 t. vanilla
1 c. chopped pecans
1 uncooked pie crust

Beat eggs well. Add the rest of the ingredients in order. Pour into uncooked pie crust. Cook in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30-45 mins.